Ashoka Alum Lalchhanhimi Bungsut bags the Inlaks Scholarship for higher studies at Oxford

My Ashoka journey began the day I graduated from high school. During the ceremony, I walked the bittersweet path to my diploma and into an uncertain future. Officially knighted as a graduate, I took out my phone to capture the moment, only to find an email from Ashoka University. Congratulations! proclaimed the first word. I ran to my mom and read the letter with her.

I was in, with generous financial aid too. The next few months were a blur of preparations filled with excitement and anxiety.

Nothing at Ashoka University came easy. Finding friends proved difficult, classes were daunting, and pandemic-induced online classes made studying much harder. I was lucky, however, to eventually find support systems through professors, classmates, and friends.

Over the three years I spent at Ashoka, I grew more confident in my ideas and thoughts, no longer second-guessing every sentence I spoke or every paragraph I wrote. I found people I could call friends through classes and the various clubs I participated in – from being a co-president of Farm Fresh, a core member of the AnthropoSoc, a member of the women’s football team, and a co-founder of the Northeast Collective.

Tired of pandemic academics, I decided to leave my fourth-year plans to opt for a job at the Centre for Pastoralism. For the past year, I worked as a content writer, editor of the organization’s quarterly newsletter, and eventually as the communications lead for the past few months.

Simultaneously, I was also able to undertake research projects through The Zubaan-Sasakawa Peace Foundation Grants for Young Researchers from the Northeast (2021-22) and an opportunity to contribute a chapter in “Food Stories from the Northeast”, a book edited by Dolly Kikon and Joel Rodrigues.

Meanwhile, I decided to apply to a few universities abroad and spent several hours every week writing and rewriting my statement of purpose. After settling on three universities, I was fortunate to get admission to my top choice – the University of Oxford – to do a Master’s in Social Anthropology.

The moment I opened the admission letter, it felt like the three years of trudging through difficult readings, essays, and classes had finally paid off. However, the letter was soon followed by a wave of disappointment. While I was ecstatic to be accepted, I knew it wouldn’t work out without external financial support.

In May, after two rounds of gruelling interviews, I was awarded the Inlaks Scholarship – a generous scholarship from the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. I thought myself undeserving but was also overjoyed that I would be able to pursue my master’s at Oxford.

My journey would’ve undoubtedly taken a different course if it weren’t for Ashoka and the people who made it a university and a home. I’m grateful to my professors, classmates, and most importantly the friends who taught me more than classes and readings ever could.